Round 21, 2026 | The Coaching Search Narrows - Who should Essendon pick?
Essendon’s search for its next senior coach is reaching the pointy end, with Mark McVeigh, Murray Davis, Jaymie Graham and James Hird emerging as the leading candidates.
We examine the coaching journeys, strengths and potential concerns attached to each contender and why development experience, leadership and alignment with the club’s long-term strategy must matter more than familiarity or profile.
We also review Essendon’s 93-point loss to Hawthorn, exploring how a competitive opening unravelled as the enormous gap in experience, continuity and class took its toll. Plus, the latest on…
The skinny
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